Emma's charity case

It's pretty clear to me that Harriet Smith is just a charity case Emma is using to fill the void of Mrs. Weston. Harriet is described as a "valuable addition to her priveleges," someone Emma could "summon" whenever she wants to walk or be entertained. "Harriet could be loved as one to whom she could be useful," Austen writes. Emma's fascination with being a match-maker seems to be just one way in which she chooses to pass away her boredom. She lives alone now with her father and the two must be constantly entertained by the company of some friend or other. Emma seems very afraid of being bored, and Harriet Smith gives her a chance to impose her meddlesome ways on someone in order to kill the time. She wants to transform Harriet into a sophisticated lady and find her a match in Mr. Elton. Exactly why Emma can't satisfy herself on her own isn't clear; perhaps she lacks confidence and must boost her ego by being among others of a lower station than her. Perhaps she is simply waiting around for that special someone of her own. It seems to me that she is very haughty, but inwardly insecure. She can't handle being alone. Harriet is just another pet who can distract her from the lonely life which she very well may have created for herself--isolating her self from "inferior" families in the surrounding area. I think Emma is definitely the cause of her own boredom because she thinks so highly of herself. Regardless, I still think she has respectable qualities and I like her playful, direct attitude. Emma is my favorite Austen heroine and I find her restlessness part of what makes her so attractive.

Movie Fanny vs. Novel Fanny

The character of Fanny Price in Rozima's film, Mansfield Park, is incredibly different from Fanny in Jane Austen's novel. First of all, she doesn't seem to be shy but has no trouble running around the Park flirting with Edmund in front of Sir Bertram in one of the film's opening scenes. Fanny from the novel would never do this! The film makes it seem that Fanny and Edmund are almost best friends, when really in the novel Edmund is more of a protective figure and someone Fanny looks up to and deeply respects. I don't think she would ever tease him the way she does in the film because of this somber respect. Fanny from the film might be more likeable and we might sympathize more with a girl with a likeable personality and a family who treats her like Cinderella. However, this is not the emotion that the novel meant for us to feel for Fanny. I think we are supposed to feel sorry that she isn't treated well, but still see that she is not entirely deviod of fault. Her disposition and personality is partly what makes her so unlikeable in the novel, to her readers and her relatives. I think this gives her a more human aspect, rather than turning her into a glorified "Cinderella" character. Fanny in the novel makes the reader feel hopeless at times, while we see that the Fanny in the film appears to be comfortable with herself. I think that the whole feeling of the novel is missed by Rozima's interpretation of Fanny.

Proposals in Austen's Time

When Fanny describes the proposal scene of the play they are performing, she is describing the general proposal of the day. Basically, I think what this quote means is that when the man proposes marriage, the woman is practically expected to accept. Men back then had to feel "encouraged" by a lady, unless the marriage was an arranged one. Encouragement was brought on by particular attention being paid to a man, subtleties of conversation (a form of flirting often found in Austen's novels), and probably just a sense that the lady is being more "open" with that man than she would be with another. A woman would never outright declare that she was in love with a man before he declared his love for her. So, the rules of "love" were much more restricted. Engagements in Austen's time, as we see in her novels, tended to come about rather quickly and take root in social equality or financial benefit rather than true love. Since the modern couple is (I would hope) looking for love, we are much slower at picking the right person and entering into an engagement. I don't think that a modern man would propose to a modern woman after only a few conversations with her. I think that there are awkward situations these days such as men or women trying to be friends but one of the party believing there was something more going on and ending up getting heartbroken. I think this is the equivalent of what happened to Mr. Collins with Elizabeth. But, in general these days I would say people definitely know each other much better before they propose, and can be more certain that they will be happy in a marriage because of the ability to communicate openly and on an equal level. I don't think Sir Bertram and Lady Bertram probably had this opportunity before they decided to marry.